//HOW TO DONATE TO A CHARITY

Donating to a charity requires lots of heart — and facts. How can you be sure that your money gets put to the best use, and doesn't get into the wrong hands?

Get written information before you donate. This can be either off of a website or by having them send information in the mail.

Experience counts. It's very difficult to deliver aid to people in disaster areas, so charities that have experience in these types of situations will rise above newer charities.

Never give cash. Scam organizations don't like to have checks given to them. Checks can be traced so you have a better chance of giving to a legitimate organization.

Donating online requires extra precautions. Make sure the web page asking for your credit card information is secure. Look for “https” at the beginning of the URL on that page, which indicates it is encrypted for security. Avoid fake sites by entering web addresses directly into the browser yourself

These are just a few tips to assure that your money goes to the right place. You can also visit these websites for information on finding the right charity: